Friend Matt Waite, of the St. Petersburg Times, has an interesting post on his personal blog wherein he lists the 19 different software programs he used to prepare the latest installment of his ongoing work on the disappearance of wetlands in Florida.  (Who could ever imagine such a thing?)

We wonder how many journalism educators could identify these programs and what they are used for?

The online version of “Vanishing Wetlands” (Craig Pittman is the lead byline on this episode.) is rich with details and interactive features, including a fine mash-up of Google Maps to show the location of some land in so-called “mitigation banks.”  Best of all, for the analytic journalism crowd, is the explication of the story's methodology.  It's in some sort of embedded code that delivers the text in a pop-up.  Look to the upper right of the homepage for a hot button.

By the way, these guys have been working this story for three years.  Now THAT's the kind of dedication that produces insight and context.

And there's another good angle on this effort at “Working backward on the last wetlands story.”